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The Heston Cameo

Charlton Heston is for me a great example of a bigger than life film hero during my childhood. Growing up I would be watching him on Sunday afternoon television battling everything from ants in The Naked Jungle to Jack Palance in Arrowhead. The holiday specials, Ben-Hur and The Ten Commandments. How about El Cid and Will Penny?

I shouldn’t have to mention Planet of the Apes. But what the heck. I just did. And how about The Omega Man! Dig those shades.

What made Heston ultra cool in my books was that while watching his legendary roles on television my mother helped fuel my love of movies by taking me to see his big screen heroics. At an early age she took me to see him battle earthquakes and be lowered from one plane to the cockpit of another to save a plane load of passengers and girlfriend Karen Black. Pretty amazing when you are an impressionable little kid.

For the most part his final years on screen were dedicated to the cameo. Films like Any Given Sunday, Tombstone and True Lies. Working in Carpenter’s In the Mouth of Madness or Burton’s Ape redo. Then there is for me his ultimate cameo opposite Mike Myers…….

I’ve borrowed an idea from a good friend about the Heston cameo so don’t be surprised if I begin to look for any old reason to sneak a Heston photo or cameo if you prefer into some of my film topics. Like this one and this one. Plenty more to come. So every now and then put Chuck’s name into the search engine and see where he pops up. He even makes an appearance at other blogs. Check him out with the Sherlock prop. And don’t forget to go here or click here. Heston as Tarzan? Sure I could see that. Mother’s Day, yup Heston tries to get in on that day as well.